


A Tale of Outcasts

by JDKoopa



Category: Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-13 11:43:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21493735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JDKoopa/pseuds/JDKoopa
Summary: Several months after the Goddess' War, Stefan greets his friends as he prepares for his coronation.
Kudos: 5





	A Tale of Outcasts

Stefan paced the town square anxiously. Around him, the city was going about its business. Shopkeepers sold their wares to passersby, children laughed, and the world seemed bright. It seemed like just yesterday that Stefan had stumbled upon two groups at war with each other in his desert. Not for the first time, he wondered what led him to this moment.

After helping Ike and the others defeat a goddess, he had returned to his village in the desert. There, he continued to build a community where Branded could find a place to call home. One day, a beorc and his laguz wife found their way into this Branded safe haven, looking for a new start. Not wanting to turn them away, Stefan prepared a place for them outside the perimeter of the community. 

Before long, more beorc and laguz had heard of a place where they could live together freely, and Stefan had made several smaller communities for those who came to him. The people began to look to Stefan to lead them, and soon he found himself being named king, as Providence was formally recognized as an independent nation.

The coronation was still several days away, and preparations were being finalized. The palace was being made to house a king, and the citizens were getting ready to welcome the many guests that would come to watch the birth of their nation. Local artisans prepared their finest works, the inns finished renovations with new rooms, and the tavern stocked up on the finest meats, wines, and other delicacies for the festivities.

Three days prior to the coronation, Geoffrey entered the gates of Providence. Stefan greeted him personally. Seeing the man now, it was hard to remember how he had been during the Mad King’s War when the two men first met. At the time, Geoffrey was high strung and somewhat overprotective of the Princess. He was one of the few soldiers who wanted her to not participate in the battles. Although many of the knights saw her as an inspiration, Geoffrey was concerned about anything happening to her, and frequently pleaded with her to leave the fighting to the soldiers so that she could reclaim the throne after the war was over. 

During the battle at Fort Pinell, Geoffrey tried to shield Elincia from a blow, and had in turn been knocked from his horse. With his lance knocked from his grasp and his enemy looming over him, Geoffrey maintained a noble bearing, as if his sacrifice was not in vain. Perhaps it was that look, or perhaps it was the pained expression on the face of a Princess that Stefan had grown to care for, but before Geoffrey’s foe could land the final blow, Stefan plunged his sword into the man’s back and let him fall lifeless to the ground.

“You may think it a noble sacrifice, but your princess would suffer greatly at your loss. You would do well to remember how she cares for you.” Stefan said, helping the man to his feet. “On top of that, it appears she is quite capable in a fight on her own, so don’t take needless risks or you won’t be there when she truly needs you.” The two men watched as Elincia dispatched two enemy soldiers quickly before heading over to assist some of her men that had been gravely injured.  
“You may be right at that. Your assistance is most appreciated, Stefan was it? I have seen you around camp helping General Ike with his technique. I will take your advice to heart. Should you require anything of me do not hesitate to ask.” Geoffrey smiled at his new companion before calling his horse back to him and riding toward his Princess.

“Sir Geoffrey, I’m glad you could make it. You and your men are, of course, free to use our stables for your horses. If you would follow me, I’ll show you to them.”  
“Thank you, Stefan. It is quite the long ride from Melior. I must confess, I was nervous having Her Majesty make the journey, but after a bit of convincing, and a reminder that she can handle herself just fine, my mind is at ease. She and the others should arrive by day’s end.” 

“Ah, so the Queen of Crimea managed to make time in her schedule to attend personally? I am truly honored. I know she has her own matters to attend to, but I am looking forward to seeing her again. It has been quite some time, I hope all is well?” Stefan smiled as he remembered the Crimean Queen, a woman he had grown fond of over the years since they had met. 

“Yes, ever since the rebellion led by Duke Ludveck of Felirae was put down, even those who opposed her have been forced to recognize Queen Elincia’s leadership. The ensuing war held its own challenges, but I believe things have finally calmed down.”  
“It is good to hear that my friend. We are a humble nation yet, but I hope our accommodations are suitable for you and your party. The ceremony isn’t to be held for a few more days, so you should have plenty of time to get settled tonight. Tomorrow I would be delighted to show you and Queen Elincia around.”

After assigning an aide to lead Geoffrey and the others to their lodgings, Stefan let out a sigh of relief. Empress Sanaki was still busy dealing with the fallout from the war and would not be able to attend the coronation, though she had sent a representative to fill her place. Tanith had arrived only the morning before Geoffrey’s group to bear witness in place of the Apostle.

Stefan had met Tanith during the Mad King’s War as well, though he didn’t speak to her much until 3 years later during the Goddess’ War. They had just finished a battle in the desert with Ashera’s soldiers when Tanith approached him.  
“Stefan, it is good to see you. I am delighted that you managed to escape petrification. Do you plan to fight with us?”

“I’m not sure about all this petrification business, but it appears joining up with you is the best way to protect my desert. I am happy to call you an ally again, Tanith.” Stefan smiled at the woman before looking around. “What exactly am I fighting against though?”

“The goddess of chaos, Yune, has been released from the medallion, and the goddess of order, Ashera, has petrified the world for breaking their vow to have peace. We are on our way to battle Ashera for the sake of all people.” Stefan watched for her to break into a smile, but her face remained as serious as ever. It appeared she was not joking then.

“Well, I’ve always wondered how my bladework would hold up against a divine being. I’d like to hear more about our situation, but I have enough information to make my decision. I hope we have more allies than this if we are to take on a goddess though.” 

While Tanith’s presence eased his mind, Stefan was still somewhat concerned that he had not heard from Daein yet. They were in the final stages of rebuilding from the war, so he had known it would be hard for anyone to attend. He had hoped, however, that they could spare some small amount of time for this occasion.

When Queen Elincia arrived early that evening, Stefan was excited to see that she had brought along several people he had met before. She was being escorted by her knights, as well as the Greil mercenaries, whom she had hired for the occasion. With Ike and Soren still gone on their own adventure, Mist and Boyd rode with Elincia and her knights as the leaders and representatives of the mercenary group. Titania and Oscar rode with the other mercenaries, while taking care of Mist and Boyd’s newborn son, Gawain.  
Kieran had been put in charge of Elincia’s Personal Guard, and had handpicked the best people for the job. He was as enthusiastic as ever, and upon his arrival he immediately approached Oscar.

“Oscar! I had hoped to ride beside you, yet you insisted on riding elsewhere. I had hoped to take this opportunity to reconnect with you, and perhaps convince you to rejoin the Royal Knights. Do you think yourself so superior to me that you would not even ride with me?”

“Kieran, calm down for a moment. I need to ride not only with the rest of the mercenaries, but with my nephew. You ride with your queen and with my brother and his wife. I have a job to do as escort on the way to Providence, but perhaps on the return trip I can ask permission to ride with you and her majesty.”

“Oh most splendid. Of course, as second in command of the Royal Knights of Crimea, I can guarantee this will be no issue. I look forward to our return trip friend.”

“I as well, though don’t think I’ll let you convince me to join the Knights again.” Oscar pat the shoulder his friend and rival before rejoining his brother.

Stefan laughed to himself as the exchange between the two knights ended. As he approached the group, he realized that this may be the first time he truly saw his old allies in a time of peace. “Hello friends! It has been too long, I hope you had safe travels. Your Majesty, I was pleased to hear of your attendance at my coronation.”

“Of course, Stefan. After all you did for us, I wouldn’t miss your coronation for anything. Our journey was long, but well worth it to meet you again. We are so proud of all you’ve accomplished.”

“Who’s in charge while you are here though? I doubt your advisors took kindly to you being away for so long. Crimea was not spared from the effects of the war, after all.”

“Bastian is attending to matters in my absence, and the advisors accepted my presence here as a way to secure friendship with a new nation. It seems they have begun to trust me more, something about how I helped defeat a Goddess and save the world. Though I can’t say they were pleased to discover that I placed myself between two warring armies and laid my weapon down.” The queen smiled as she remembered the events leading up to her involvement in the Goddess’ War.

“I can’t say I blame them, but I am happy to hear things are settling down in Crimea. I look forward to a continued friendship between our nations. I know you have traveled far, so I’ll show you to the lodgings I sent Geoffrey to earlier, and I’ll meet you early tomorrow to show you around.”

Stefan was happy he got to see her smile. During the Mad King’s War, she had been forced to stay strong, and while she fought valiantly, she had never smiled the way she was today. In fact, the first time they had met, she was quite upset.

“Excuse me, but is something the matter?” Stefan had asked the stranger, who was nervously pacing the halls outside the Apostle’s council room.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m just worried. Sir Ike and the others have just returned from the desert and now they’re preparing to head out again. It feels like they have been going non-stop all this time, while I sit back and wait for them to return.” The girl then looked up at Stefan with a friendly expression, though he could see the worry in her eyes. “Oh I haven’t introduced myself. I am -”

“Ah, I know who you are princess, no need to worry. I happen to have joined forces with your ‘Sir Ike’ recently. I am Stefan of the desert, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Stefan smiled and bowed his head to the Crimean princess. She was different than he had expected, younger perhaps, but her composure and kindness were exactly as Ike had told him on the journey back.

“Oh, why thank you. I am happy to make your acquaintance as well.”

“As you are already aware, I must make preparations to head out, but you should try not to worry. For now all you can do is wait for us, but you are what drives these men and women to win, and inspires them to keep pushing through difficult situations. You may feel that your role is small, but without you there would be no one to, as you said, ‘go non-stop.’ I look forward to fighting by your side in the future someday, your majesty. If you require my assistance with anything, don’t hesitate to ask.” Stefan smiled, and then went to prepare for the next mission.

The next day, Stefan showed Elincia and the others around Providence. They spent some time in the market, looking at the various crafts and jewelry, before continuing onto the palace, though they could not enter until the coronation was complete, as the architects and planners were busy and blocked off the entrance. As they walked through town, Stefan caught up with his friends about how things had been since the war. He congratulated Mist and Boyd on their marriage and their child, and was excited to hear that things were going well for the mercenary group.

After the tour, Stefan excused himself to continue preparations. The palace had been prepared at last, and he was checking on the residential area when a messenger approached him, announcing that the representative from Daein had finally arrived. Stefan headed toward the Town entrance and was greeted by none other than Pelleas, the former King of Daein.

Stefan had not spent long with Pelleas, but there was a certain charm about the young man. When they met, Pelleas was depressed about the state of Daein, not only the petrification, but also the blood pact that he had unwittingly signed upon his coronation. However, despite knowing of his mistake and feeling guilty about the decisions he had made even after signing the pact, Pelleas had a strong spirit. He desired to help his people no matter the cost. 

Stefan admired the young King, and was happy to see him destroy the blood pact with his own hands. A weight lifted from the boy, and a smile spread across his face. His demeanor brightened, though he was still a rather quiet person.  
“Well, your majesty, you’ve finally done it. It seems your people are free!” Stefan congratulated Pelleas, expecting the young king to feel relief after all the struggles he faced since taking the throne.

“Not yet. I may have made up for my mistake, but my nation is still victim to the Goddess Ashera’s will. Until we either defeat her or convince her to change her mind, they will never be free.” Pelleas looked toward the staircase that would take them to the next level of the tower. 

“While I admire your dedication, you should revel in the small victories. They do not come often. It’s important as a leader to remain optimistic.” Stefan placed his hand on Pelleas’ shoulder. “You’ve done good work here, your people will see that and forgive your mistake. All we can do now is move forward.”

“To tell the truth Stefan, it doesn’t matter if my people forgive my mistake. I can’t forgive it myself. I’m not fit to lead a nation, I wasn’t even leading my own rebellion. They follow Micaiah, and I intend to give her the throne when all this is over. This isn’t me accepting defeat though, I can still grow. There’s just no denying that she’s the rightful leader of Daein.” Pelleas determinedly walked toward the stairs, with a fire burning in his eyes that alleviated any concern Stefan had for the boy.

“Pelleas! It’s so good to see you. How’s the rebuilding of Daein going?”

“Stefan! It’s been too long. Rebuilding has been going well, Queen Micaiah has a real knack for this. Honestly, it’s been nice not having the pressures of leading, and when she asked me to represent her here I was delighted. It was rather last minute, however, so we didn’t have time to send a messenger ahead.”

“Well, I’m happy to have you here friend. I didn’t prepare a room for you, but perhaps the Crimeans would welcome you. I’m sure they have room for one more body among their ranks.” Stefan began to lead Pelleas to the inn where Elincia and the others would be staying.

“Oh, the group from Crimea is here already? Who did Queen Elincia send to represent her?” Pelleas asked as they walked toward the inn.

“Actually the queen made time in her schedule to come herself! She arrived with the Greil Mercenaries just last night. How long has it been since… Pelleas?” Stefan stopped when he realized Pelleas had stopped walking. “Is everything alright?”

“Huh? O-oh yes, sorry. I just haven’t seen Queen Elincia since the war, and I wasn’t expecting her to be here in person. I’m just a little nervous is all, no need to stop. Please, let’s continue.” Pelleas said, though his hands were shaking and his face was pale. 

“Well, if you say so. I’m sure she’ll take you in, she was very supportive when you took the throne after all. No need to be anxious.” Stefan said, chuckling quietly. Elincia was a Queen, a beautiful one at that, that was just a couple years older than Pelleas. Of course he would feel nervous.

“Of course. Still, I wonder what room they’ll have for me. I’d prefer not to stay with the knights, as I recall there was a very loud one among them. Perhaps the mercenaries will have room for me.” Pelleas said, almost to himself. 

Stefan showed Pelleas the shops on the way to the inn, and was surprised when the boy bought a beautiful emerald necklace with a chain made of silver. When they arrived at the inn, Pelleas made his way to where the Crimeans were staying, and Stefan went to finish his business. It was only the afternoon, but he was already feeling exhausted. He finished writing his speech, and then took a stroll around the perimeter of the town.

In two days, he would be crowned, and Providence would be officially recognized as an independent nation. Everything he had worked for until now would finally pay off. Stefan leaned against a wall and looked up at the sky, where the first stars of the night were starting to appear. He could hardly believe this wasn’t a dream. 

After a couple hours, Stefan made his way back into town, to his temporary lodgings until his quarters in the palace were complete. Tomorrow would be his last day to prepare for how everything would change. There was no way he could know what lay in store for him in the weeks to come.


End file.
